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it needs bmw atf ! you idiot! lol they need aito tranny fluid , its esso and its like 35 a quart so good luck, also your ruining the powersteering box by keeping that **** in there, big time expense, hurry up! lol

Also you say it needs aito tranny fluid (esso) - So are you saying put tranny fluid into the powersteering box??

So this post did not help at all considering I was looking for help to FLUSH all the fluid so I can put the correct BMW fluid which is the CF11S ( not the ATF as you suggest ). Calling someone an idiot was a little disrespectful as well. Just bought this car and trying to quickly get it back the right way soon.

Post #2 is complete rubbish I'm afraid. If your car has self levelling suspension, then the correct fluid is Pentosin CHF 11S, which is an unmistakable green, and even comes from BMW in a green tin. The power steering pump is in fact 2 pumps in tandem, one for the steering and one for the self levelling, but the reservoir with the CHF 11S cap is common to both systems, so both are now contaminated.

I would remove the hose from the bottom of the reservoir to drain this, then start the car so that fluid from the steering is pumped out, but stop as soon as this happens as you don't want to run the pump dry.

At the rear of the car identify the hydraulic line running from the left rear damper, and follow towards the centre of the car, and you will spot the control valve for the levelling. This has a drain/bleed point, covered with a protective rubber cap. When you open this (support the car) remember the fluid is under very high pressure. Again run the engine to drain the system, then close the bleed point.

Now start adding new fluid till there is plenty in the reservoir,start engine and keep topping up until level stabilises. At the rear open the bleed point to remove any trapped air/dirty fluid. The final fluid level cold will be about on a level with the 3 white nylon parts you can see at the bottom of the reservoir, whatever the dipstick says. Don't overfill, it makes a very sticky mess, that's hard to remove.You may hear farting noises from the system as air is displaced , be sure to check the level next few days.

The power steering pump is in fact 2 pumps in tandem, one for the steering and one for the self levelling, but the reservoir with the CHF 11S cap is common to both systems, so both are now contaminated.

Does this mean there are two different systems?? I only see one reservoir.

When I drain the resorvoir and start the car. How long should it run before it drys out. a few seconds?

The reservoir supplies fluid to the pump, but because it is actually 2 pumps in one, there is one for the steering and one for the self levelling. The single reservoir means the same fluid is used in both systems.

You are attempting to remove as much fluid as possible, just run the engine ie the pump until no more comes out.

Damper = proper term for shock absorber. With self levelling there is also an accumulator (often known as a bomb) hidden behind the rear wheel arch liner. You can follow a fluid line/hose from this down to the base of the damper

You sounds very familiar with this system. My problem is this, i just had a valve seal guide replacement. I believe the mechanic at the dealership forgot to refill the hydraulic or power steering canister. Now i have a rattling noise from the hydraulic canister. I immediately refilled with
chf11s and now hear wierd noises. The dealer says the pump went bad of course not to pay for the repairs. I am now again waiting for my warranty company to rescue me. First the service guy said the hydraulic reservoir was sucked dry because a valve bypass from the vaccum system may have burn the fluid through the engine. No white or gray smoke ever seen. Just need to know if that seems possible or is this B>S.

There is no vacuum line from the self levelling/power steering system to the engine. Its a self contained system. Nothing can 'suck the pump dry'. If there is a leak, it will pump itself dry all over the road, and you will hear a groaning sound as you try to turn the wheel due to air in the system, and the steering will be heavy.

When the system is refilled, or if work has been done on the hydraulic lines, you may hear some 'farting' sounds (sorry but its the best description) as air is flushed out of the system and these can be quite loud...Oh, and the pump is seriously expensive

Thanks Chrisn7, I was very sure the service guy was tap dancing. I have yet to here what the results are going to be on who going to foot the bill. I will keep you guys posted. Thanks again. Oh yea, that pump cost 1800 dollars to replace.

I think you should ask again about that pump. Mine was also done under warranty and I was told it cost 500GBP, though that was a couple of years ago. Dealer had 3 goes at mine, and I strongly suspect that the first time they said it was replaced but simply tried to tighten something at the pump to stop a leak. The last time I got underneath to check it really had been done....

I know now to check everything. I will definetly be looking at everything. On my way from work to dealership now. Surprise visits are always great. My warranty company (CarChex) should be arriving soon too. Now along with all other stuff. My comfort access door on passenger side is not working at all. door won't latch. I believe this dealership is taking full advantage of the warranty. They said it needs to be re-coded and two handles replaced.
I will post outcome within 2 or 3 hours. If no posting check the channel 2 news in the St. Louis, Missouri area. I might be on there getting dragged and cuffed by st. louis finest.

Sorry guys for the delay. Well, i didnt get hauled off by St. Louis finest. I talked with the service manager and of course he feels its just one of those things with this car. Fortunately my warranty company
CARCHEX is awesome. They are paying for everything. Remember this is my second claim and now the total is over $10K. I really thought I made a wise decision buying a car that was certified and still under factory warranty. Thanks to you guys on this forum I still purchased a warranty. (CARCHEX) I can't thank them enough for stepping up and doing there part. One thing I also like to say that I learned while talking to the service manager at AutoHaus St. Louis. There are warranty companies that are faulty. Things he said to look for is cheap prices of course and check you coverage amount. My warranty with CARCHEX IS THE ULTIMATE PLAN I paid 3800 for it and it covers up to the value of the car. WOW!!!!!

it needs bmw atf ! you idiot! lol they need aito tranny fluid , its esso and its like 35 a quart so good luck, also your ruining the powersteering box by keeping that **** in there, big time expense, hurry up! lol

Its fools like you that keeps the government from legalizing, op if you have sls you only use hydraulic fluid, the cap will tell you which.